Automatic musical instrument.



PATENTED SEPT. 27, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

u Wb LIIJ. l 7u n/N E. DE KLBIST. AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. APPLIOATION'PILBD PEB. 6. 190s. No MODEL.

PATENTED SEPT. 27, 1904..

E. DE KLEIST. AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED PEB. 6. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NO MODEL.

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UNITED STATES Patented September 27, 1904.

PATENT OEEICE.

EUGENE DE KLEIST, ON NORTH TONAVANDA, NEWr YORK.

AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 770,862,

dated September 27, 1904.

Application filed February 6, 1903. Serial No. 142,198. (No model.)

T0 all whom zit may concern:

pianos, and similar musical instruments, andl more particularly to an action of the kind shown and described in an application for Letters Patent of the United States filed by me on the 21st day of January, 1902, Serial No. 90,639.

The objects of my present invention are to facilitate the adjustment of the suction and vent valves of the pneumatic action, to render them prompt and sensitive in operation, and to mount the same upon their stems in such a manner that they may freely accomkmodate themselves to any irregularities or' imperfections of their seats.

In the accompanying drawings, consisting of two sheets, Figure lis a fragmentary vertical section of a piano-player containing my improvements. Fig. 2 is a similar section in line 2 2, Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4. are horizontal sections in the correspondinglynumbered lines in Fig. l. Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section of one of the valvechambers and adjacent parts.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

A indicates the inclosing case of the pianoplayer; B, its keys or fingers which operate upon the piano-keys O O and which in the construction shown consist of the upper arms of bell-crank levers B.

D indicates the motor-pneumatics, the movable boards of which are connected with the lower arms of the bell-crank levers B by rods CZ. These pneumatics are arranged in several rows and preferably in the usual stepped order, as shown in Fig. 3.

E is the main wind or exhaust chest, arranged transversely in the front portion of the case, and e is the duct by which it is connected with a suitable exhaust device. l (Not shown in the drawings.)

Each of the motor-pneumatics D isconnected with an independent valve-chamber or auxiliary exhaust-chest F by ducts g g/, formed in wind-boards G G', a duct g2, formed in the main ywind-board E, and ports g3 g4, formed in the front and rear walls of the main windboard, as shown in Fig. l. These valve-chambers are preferably arranged horizontally and communicate with the main exhaust-chest E and the atmosphere by ports /L I/, formed in vtheir front and rear ends, respectively. In

the preferred construction shown in the draw- .ings each valve-chamber is composed of two sections, which areV applied to opposite sides of the main wind-board, so that the chamber is partly inside and partly outside of the exhaust-chest. The exhaust and vent ports /L /L of each valve-chamber are controlled by valves c' i', preferably arranged within the chamber so as to close against the inner sides of the ports. The valves of each pair are mounted on stems y' j', carried by a sliding connectingrod 7c, which is preferably square or of other fiat-sided form, and guided in. corresponding openings formed in supporting bars Z, as shown in Figs. l, 2, and 5. These bars extend across the ports g3 g* and in the construction shown in the drawings are secured in grooves formed in the front and rear sides of the main wind-board. rlhe stem j of the vent-valve consists of a screw which engages in a longitudinal opening in the rear end of the valve-rod in, so that it can be screwed more or less into the same for varying the aggregate length of the valve rod or stem andproperly adjusting' the vent and exhaust valves with reference to their seats. The adjustable stem 7" extends through the ventport la and terminates in an eye f2 or other suitable enlargement for conveniently turningit. The stem jof each exhaust-valve is suitably secured to the front end of the valve-rod 7c. Itis preferably pointed at its rear end and driven into the said rod, as shown. In the preferred construction of the valves illustrated 1n the drawmgs the same are capable of rocking or swiveling on their stems, so as to seat squarely against the end walls of the valve-chambers even if these walls should not be perfectly true or yat right angles to the valve-stems. For this purpose each valve is clamped upon its stem by nuts m m', which bear against opposite sides of the usual leather or other fiexible facing 2 of the valve, but not against the button forming the rigid body of the valve. This button is provided centrally with an opening 3, which receives the rear clamping-nut m and which is sufhciently larger than the nut to permit the valve to swivel freely on its-stem in accommodating itself to any imperfections of its seat. The clamping-nuts m m', while holding the valve against longitudinal displacement on its stem in both directions, permit the valve to be conveniently adjusted lengthwise of the stem. In order to promptly close the exhaust-valves and open the vent-valves, a spiral spring n is applied to the stem j' of 'each exhaust-valve between the latter and the front guide-bar Z of the valve-rod It. As this spring bears evenly against the exhaust-valve on all sides of its stem, it insures a reliable closure of the valve. I

The devices for opening and closing the exhaust and vent valves form no part of my invention and may be of any suitable or wellknown construction. Those shown in the drawings consist of the usual tracker-board 0, over which the perforated music-sheet travels, and diaphragm-pneumatics p, arranged in line with said valves and communicating with the tracker-ducts 0. These pneumatics also communicate with the exhaust-chest by the usual small ports p. The stem 7' of each exhaust-valve may be provided at its front end with an adjustable head or button q, which bears against the diaphragm of the corresponding pneumatic p.

In the operation of the pneumatic action when the inlet end of a tracker-duct is closed by the traveling music-sheet the a'ir is exhausted therefrom and from the corresponding valve-operating pneumatic p through the small hole p of the latter, and as the pressure against both sides of the diaphragm is balanced under these conditions the diaphragm is moved by the spring n to the position shown with reference to the two lower diaphragms in Fig. l. As the corresponding exhaust-valve is now closed and the companion vent-valve open, the corresponding motor-pneumatic D is cut off from the main exhaust-chest E and remains in its normal expanded condition. When a perforation of the music-sheet registers with said tracker-duct, as shown in Fig. l, the atmosphere enters this duct and the valve-operating pneumatic p and reverses the diaphragm of the latter to the positionshown in Fig'. 5 and with reference to the upper diaphragm in Fig. 1. The

diaphragm in being reversed acts upon the valve-stem j, opening the exhaust-valve a' and closing the vent-valve lz" and compressing the spring n, thereby placing' the corresponding motor-pneumatic D in communication with the main exhaust-chest and cutting off the outer atmosphere therefrom. This pneumatic being now collapsed by the atmospheric pressure actuates the complementary key of the piano-player. As soon as the correspond- .ing tracker-duct is again closed the motorpneumatic is allowed to expand, allowing the key to rise to its former position, and the exhaust and vent valves are reversed to their former position by the reaction of the spring n.

The valve-adjusting devices permit the position of the exhaust and vent valves of each pair to be nicely regulated by simply screwing the stem j" of the vent-valve a greater or less distance into the valve-rod 7L', which latter is held against turning in its guides, as hereinbefore described. By making' the screwstem j adjustable ony the valve-rod and in turn making the swiveling vent-valve adjustable on said stem this valve can be approximately adjusted on its stem by means of the nuts m m before placing the valve in its chamber, and a iinal accurate adjustment of the same can then be effected by means of the screw-stem, which is accessible from the outer side of said chamber. These adjusting devices are, moreover, simple and inexpensive in construction and can be readily assembled and repaired.

In the drawings the motor-pneumatics are represented as being above the main exhaustchest E; but they may be located in any other suitable position, their particular construction and arrangement forming no part of my invention.

The improvements are herein shown and described in connection with a piano-player as an example of their use. They may obviously be applied to self-playing pianos and similar musical instruments having a pneumatic action.

I do not wish to claim in this application the construction of the swiveling exhaust and vent valves herein shown and described, as the same forms the subject of a divisional application filed by me on the 1st day of September, 1904, Serial No. 222,924.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination of an exhaust-chest, a

.motor-pneumatic, a chamber communicating with said pneumatic and having exhaust and vent ports, a sliding valve-rod carrying an exhaust-valve which controls said exhaust-port, a screw-stem engaging with said valve-rod and accessible from the outer side of said chamber, and a vent-valve controlling said vent-port and capable of longitudinal adjustment on said screw-stem, substantially as set forth. A

2. The combination of an exhaust-chest, a motor-pneumatic, a chamber communicating said ports, a valve-rod arranged in said valvechamber and carrying said valves, and a spiral spring surrounding said rod and bearing at one end against said exhaust-valve and at its other end against an abutment in the valve-chamber, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 3d day of February, 1903.

EUGENE DE KLEIST.

Witnesses:

CARL F. GEYER, EMMA M. GRAHAM. 

